The 2016 AMCC spring athletic administrators meeting wrapped up with Commissioner Donna Ledwin presenting member institutions with the annual community service awards. The awards were broken into two categories -- Array of Events and Single Event.
The first category awarded is the Array of Events. This category consists of a variety of community service projects. All may be of a similar theme conducted by one or more groups, or they can be a collection of distinctly different projects conducted by the same group.
Gold: Penn State Behrend (TOPS Basketball Program)
TOPS (The Outreach Program for Soccer) was so successful in the Erie community that the Behrend basketball teams decided to create a parallel program with the soccer teams, keeping TOPS for both because of the strong local name recognition. Athletes worked one on one, or two on one with children with disabilities teaching the skills of basketball and soccer. This program allowed the parents to interact with one another and form bonds to support each other and their children. The TOPS program ran from 6-8pm every Wednesday for three weeks in September. This program provided services to 125 children with disabilities, along with 140 volunteers and 1,320 volunteer hours during those three weeks.
Silver: Medaille College (Totally Active Kids)
Medaille Athletics teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo to offer sports clinics to Buffalo youth who come from low income and underprivileged families. These clinics offered a different sport per date so a variety of athletic teams were involved. The program also included a healthy lifestyle and nutrition component with healthy snacks provided. The clinics took place on the Medaille campus so the boys and girls were exposed to the campus with the hopes of helping to encourage participation in college. Children were also invited to attend a Medaille men's and women's basketball game. The boys and girls were also provided mentors in collaboration with the Trio program on campus. This program impacted 10-15 children on six different dates.
Bronze: Hilbert College (Pink Power Week) & Mount Aloysius College (Community Service Throughout the Year) - TIE
The Hilbert College SAAC hosted the first annual Pink Power Week in October, supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The week's events included: sales of pink pom-poms and breast cancer bracelets, annual "Pink Out" volleyball game where student-athletes donned "Let's Get It Off Our Chest" tshirts, a bake sale, 50/50 raffles at four different events, and women's soccer "pink" game. Student-athletes capped off the week by wearing their breast cancer awareness tshirts to form a human ribbon in the gym. All funds collected were donated to the Western New York Chapter of the Susan G. Komen foundation.
Mount Aloysius College compiled an impressive list of community service projects throughout the year. 162 student-athletes performed community service projects as a requirement for their Connections LA 101 class. 972 hours were devoted to over 30 locations performed within a 50 mile radius of the college. An additional 52 student-athletes performe 624 hours as part of their Mercy Service Grant. These projects included working at food banks and homeless shelters, helping with book drives, participating in environmental projects, and running canned food drives. Many student-athletes have also spent many meaningful volunteer hours as part of clubs and organizations on campus. These projects included volunteering with local nonprofit agencies addressing issues such as poverty, heart health, building community engagement, literacy, and building community engagement. Many of the Mountie student-athletes also participated in mission trips to other parts of the country where they served in several different areas in the community including soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Mountie student-athletes also participated in community service projects through their athletic teams. The Mountie Athletic Department has created a partnership with New Day, Inc., a Christian ministry to at-risk children, youth, and families. Hundreds of Mountie volunteers participated in nearly 5,000 volunteer hours.
The Single Event category is for a single community service project conducted by a group of student-athletes, a single team, a combination of teams, SAAC, or the athletic department as a whole. It may be conducted on one date or over multiple dates.
Gold: Pitt-Bradford (Special Olympics Bowling with a Buddy)
For the sixth consecutive year, all 15 of Pitt-Bradford varsity athletic teams, as well as athletic training majors and staff members, participated in the Special Olympics Bowling with a Buddy event. Panther student-athletes bowled with, supported, encouraged and cheered on the Olympians as they prepare for their league play. This event provided a wonderful opportunity for the student-athletes to engage with the Special Olympics, develop meaningful relationships, and share with them as teammates the determination and desire necessary to be successful at a sport. Approximately 230 volunteers dedicated a total of 115 volunteer hours to this event.
Silver: Mount Aloysius College (Cambria City Cleanup)
The Mount Aloysius men's soccer team became a part of the Johnstown Vision 2025 Youth Circle and assisted in restoring the Cambria City section of Johnstown, along with the surrounding area. Members of the team assisted in cleaning up and restoring the Cambria City playground, mulched and planted a garden, and cleaned up three miles of Broad Street, while also helping with the local community garden on Haws Pike. A Johnstown City Councilwoman stated that the work the Mountie soccer team did in one day would have taken the city an additional two weeks if they didn't have the Mounties' help.
Bronze: Penn State Behrend (Walk Across PA)
The Penn St. Behrend men's and women's soccer teams joined men's coach Dan Perritano and his daughter, Emma, who is wheelchair bound, as Dan and Emma walked for 30 days across the state of PA. The team members joined Dan and Emma on Route 5 of their journey. They also raised $7,000 for the local Arc of Erie County, which is an organization to support people with intellectual disabilities.